Chapter 71: Golden Mountain, Must Conquer
Although he was somewhat immune to Xiao Simo’s flatbread, there was a saying that went well: fortune and glory are sought in danger.
If he didn’t actively fight for it, in three to five years, he would still just be a chiliarch.
When the Mongol People came to attack, what would Li Xiao use to resist?
Therefore, he still decided to take a risk.
If it succeeded, this chiliarch position might even be promoted.
Moreover, if this war dragged on without ending, the impact on Jin Prefecture would be significant.
For Li Xiao himself, continuing to fight at Golden Mountain would mean the costs and gains were not proportional.
In the large tent, after everyone left and Xiao Simo was pondering alone, Xiao Yanyan walked in.
She wore a Khitan woman’s long robe, with a felt hat raising her hair up, and slowly walked behind Xiao Simo.
She reached out and gently kneaded his shoulders.
“Brother, let me go~”
Before Xiao Yanyan could finish speaking, she heard Xiao Simo roar: “Nonsense.”
“Do I need you to teach me how to fight?”
With that, Xiao Simo stood up, turned to look at Xiao Yanyan, and said with an extremely serious expression: “Even if I, Xiao Simo, am incompetent, I will not push my sister into the fire pit.”
“Even if we don’t want Jin Prefecture, I won’t allow you to say such things.” Xiao Simo said in a cold voice.
But every word was full of love for his sister.
Xiao Yanyan smiled; this was the brother she knew best and respected most.
But the more so, the less Xiao Yanyan wanted to see her brother so distressed.
She knew that during this time, Xiao Simo had spent too much effort on the Naiman People’s matters.
He was particularly troubled by this Golden Mountain defense line built by the Naiman People.
The situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable for Xiao Simo; if they dragged on too long in Jin Prefecture, Yelü Zhilugu would probably move against the Eastern Capital.
But if they withdrew now, the Naiman People would definitely take advantage and press down.
Not only would they fail to achieve Xiao Simo’s intended goals, but Jin Prefecture would also fall completely, leaving the Eastern Capital directly exposed to a pincer attack from the Naiman People and the royal court.
In short, Xiao Simo was now in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat.
“Brother, the Da He Family has sent a letter of divorce.”
“Moreover, my reputation in the royal court~”
As she spoke, a flash of anger appeared on Xiao Yanyan’s face.
Xiao Simo was even angrier than her; upon hearing the name of the Da He Family, his gaze suddenly darkened.
“The Da He Family is courting death.” Xiao Simo said angrily in a deep voice.
After the battle at North Mountain, Da He Chu Luo Duo fled with his men, not daring to stay in the Eastern Capital, fearing Xiao Simo would kill him, and went straight back to the royal court.
Then, he spread everywhere that Xiao Yanyan had been captured by the Geluolu People.
A woman like that, even if rescued, would be too unfair to Da He Chu Luo Duo if she married into the Da He Family later.
The Da He Family’s direct bloodline could not be tarnished.
So, they directly sent Xiao Simo the original engagement letter, indicating their intent to break off the marriage.
The Xiao Family brother and sister were naturally furious about this.
Clearly, Da He Chu Luo Duo had abandoned Xiao Yanyan and fled alone, yet now the Da He Family was pretending to be the aggrieved party.
It was utterly shameless.
“Grandfather was really blind back then to accept the Da He Family’s marriage proposal.” Xiao Yanyan said.
She didn’t have a good impression of her grandfather because that old man blamed the Xiao Family’s great change entirely on her mother.
Even she, the granddaughter who didn’t know who her real father was, was implicated.
Moreover, the old man later arranged her marriage to the Da He Family.
He was simply out of his mind, ruining her life.
“Sigh!”
Xiao Simo understood his sister’s resentment toward their grandfather and did not try to dissuade her.
He just said: “Grandfather felt his life was short back then and arranged your marriage to the Da He clan to give us protection and support in the future.”
The Da He clan was no simple matter.
During the Tang Xuanzong era, the Da He clan was the leader of the Khitan People and had been granted titles by Tang Xuanzong.
Later, the Da He clan declined and was replaced by the Yao Pin clan.
After that, the Yelü Family rose, replacing the Yao Pin clan as the leader of the Khitan People.
Although the Da He clan’s glory had passed, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse.
Among the backbone generals who followed Yelü Dashi to the Western Regions back then, some were from the Da He clan, and they still controlled considerable armies.
The Da He clan had significant influence in the current Western Liao royal court.
Marrying into the Da He clan would indeed bring many benefits to the Xiao Family.
But the problem was, with Xiao Wulila’s death, the Xiao Family gradually faced suppression from Yelü Zhilugu, and their power rapidly declined.
The Da He Family’s attitude also became increasingly ambiguous.
A normal woman should marry at fifteen or sixteen.
But at that time, Da He Chu Luo Duo’s grandfather had just died, so it was delayed by three years.
Three years later, his grandmother died too, and it was delayed again.
Directly turning Xiao Yanyan into a twenty-year-old spinster.
Khitan People were influenced by Central Plains culture and sometimes observed mourning for elders, but it wasn’t mandatory.
For something as important as a marriage alliance with the Xiao Family, the Da He Family certainly didn’t need to care so much.
But they did it anyway.
So, they implicitly told everyone that the Da He Family had other ideas about this marriage.
The reason was perhaps that the Da He clan didn’t think highly of Xiao Simo and feared being implicated by the Xiao Family.
Actually, the reason Xiao Yanyan came to Jin Prefecture proactively was to ask Da He Chu Luo Duo directly what his attitude was.
If not, just break off the marriage.
She, Xiao Yanyan, wouldn’t tolerate this grievance.
But unexpectedly, she ran into the Geluolu People’s rebellion, and Da He Chu Luo Duo suffered a defeat and directly abandoned her there.
Xiao Yanyan even sometimes suspected that Da He Chu Luo Duo had lost on purpose.
“Grandfather had his considerations, but he trusted the wrong person.”
“The Da He Family is timid and cowardly, opportunistic, not worth plotting with; breaking off the marriage is just fine.”
“But hateful that they dare to spread rumors slandering my reputation.” Xiao Yanyan said through gritted teeth.
Once such rumors spread, Xiao Yanyan’s future marriage prospects would be troublesome.
“Enough, I won’t allow you to say such things, and I won’t allow you to marry into the Northern Naiman.” Xiao Simo roughly interrupted Xiao Yanyan’s thoughts.
“War is men’s business.”
“You stay obediently in the camp and don’t think too much.”
“Even without him, Tuoteboluo, I can still break through Golden Mountain.”
Xiao Simo said in a firm voice, inwardly furious.
If he were still in the royal court, would those people dare act like this?
Those who bully him, insult him, laugh at him today, he, Xiao Simo, would repay a hundredfold in the future.
When the voices in the tent no longer sounded, after waiting a moment, the guard entered and reported: “Report to the Great King, Jin Prefecture chiliarch Li Xiao requests an audience.”
Xiao Yanyan was originally preparing to leave, but upon hearing Li Xiao’s name, she sat down again.
“Let him in.”
Xiao Simo glanced at his sister and ordered.
“Your subordinate Li Xiao pays respects to the lord.”
Li Xiao entered the tent and was surprised to find Xiao Yanyan there too.
Then he immediately thought of a rumor circulating in the army these past two days.
Buyiru Khan would only send troops south after a marriage alliance with Xiao Yanyan.
Li Xiao had sensed at the time that this rumor was untimely, as if someone was deliberately promoting it.
If the Golden Mountain defense line wasn’t taken for a long time, with soldier casualties increasing daily and morale shaken.
At that point, would the soldiers direct their inner resentment toward Xiao Yanyan, or even Xiao Simo?
Blaming them for not agreeing early to Buyiru Khan’s marriage alliance proposal, and they would have broken through the Golden Mountain defense line long ago.
“Xiao Simo’s subordinates are not of one mind either.” Li Xiao thought to himself.
“What important matter?”
“Your subordinate came only for the princess’s matter.” Li Xiao answered steadily.
Then he looked at Xiao Yanyan and said: “Your subordinate believes the princess absolutely cannot marry a Naiman person.”
“This would only embolden the Naiman People’s arrogance and make them look down on our Great Liao even more in the future.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yanyan was momentarily stunned, her expression somewhat moved as she looked at Li Xiao.
“Li Xiao~”
Li Xiao firmly met Xiao Yanyan’s gaze and said in a deep voice: “Princess, publicly, you represent the dignity of our Northern Frontier.”
“Privately, we are friends; I, Li Xiao, will never sit by and watch you suffer in the Northern Naiman.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yanyan felt very complex inside; she hadn’t expected Li Xiao to care so much about her as a friend.
In her life, Xiao Yanyan didn’t have many friends.
She hadn’t expected a mere youth from Jin Prefecture to move her like this.
“Li Xiao, I understand your intention.”
“But some things are beyond one’s control.” Xiao Yanyan shook her head helplessly with a bitter smile.
Li Xiao said directly: “Is the princess referring to the Jin Prefecture defense line?”
“If I have a way to break through Golden Mountain, does that mean the princess won’t have to marry a Naiman person?”
At these words, Xiao Simo and Xiao Yanyan’s attention was fully drawn.
Xiao Simo pondered slightly and said: “Li Xiao, can you break through Golden Mountain?”
“Yes!”
Then Li Xiao looked at Xiao Yanyan beside him with a resolute, ready-to-die expression.
As if everything he was doing was for Xiao Yanyan.
“What method?”
Xiao Simo asked urgently, even overlooking the eye contact between the two.
Normally, whoever dared flirt with Xiao Yanyan, he could beat their brains out.
“My family ancestor sent a letter informing your subordinate that there is an ancient path in A Lai Ridge leading to the Naiman Tribe’s territory.”
“This path has towering mountain peaks and treacherous terrain, but it is sufficient for an army to pass.”
“Just send a force across A Lai Ridge, go around to Jinshan East, and pincer the Naiman People with our army’s main force.”
“Golden Mountain will surely be taken!”
Hearing Li Xiao’s plan, Xiao Simo’s face changed dramatically; he hurriedly found the position of A Lai Ridge on the Golden Mountain map.
North of Jin Prefecture, the peaks were much higher than those south of Jin Prefecture.
Xiao Simo had sent people to scout there, and indeed the terrain was dangerous and hard to pass.
“Is there really an ancient path?” Xiao Simo asked with an excited expression.
“Yes.”
Li Xiao nodded emphatically.
“My family ancestor passed through it by chance in his youth and still remembers the location.”
Hearing this, a look of excitement appeared on Xiao Simo’s face.
“Hahahaha~”
“Excellent!”
